Goodbye, Goodbye
by PotterIsMyPatronus
Summary: Molly, coming from the Pureblood Wizarding lot she did, knew better than to curl up and cry. She knew better than to stand around and let people protect her. She was not a heartbroken little girl; she was a woman. A woman who could take care of herself even in the darkest times and more importantly, her children. She's lost Fred, but she wasn't going to lose the rest.


**This was written for WeasleySeeker's Goodbye Competition.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Harry Potter belongs to Jo Rowling.**

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Molly and Arthur Weasley stood together by the wall of the Great Hall, not speaking but holding each other's hands in silent support. Fred was dead, Percy and George were grieving, Ron was arguing with Hermione about Harry's fate and Harry was kissing Ginny – that ought to annoy them somewhat but it didn't, because Harry was, in their eyes, already a part of the Weasley clan. Molly liked thinking about that; it took her mind off of Fred. Oh, Fred. Why him?

It wasn't Molly's fault, of course - she wasn't there. But it was survivors' guilt, something she knew very well. And he was around Harry when he died, Fred was. Harry was jinxed. But it wasn't his fault. Molly loved Harry like he was her very own son, and if Harry and Ginny carried on the way they were going with their relationship he might very well be her son one day. Harry was jinxed, yes, but he seemed to save more lives than he caused the deaths off. Ginny would be happy with him. If they both made it, that was.

"Molly," Arthur whispered, taking off his glasses to wipe the tears off of the lenses.

Molly looked at him.

"Molly, Fred is dead, Bill got mauled by a werewolf, and if it wasn't for Harry _I_ would be dead, as would Ginny and Ron. Molly, the more I think about it, the more I feel that one of us might not be coming back."

Molly let out a heart wrenching sob and clutched his hand tighter. "Don't say that," she whispered between gasps.

Arthur wrapped an arm around Molly's shoulders and pulled her close. "I love you."

"I love you too," Molly cried.

"And if you or I don't come back, then this is goodbye in advance." Arthur kissed Molly lightly on the lips, just brushing them over Molly's in a way that was chaste, but displayed many levels of love that he couldn't display around the children. "Goodbye."

Molly started weeping and she wrapped her arms around Arthur's waist, snuggling her head into his chest. "Goodbye," she said into his shirt.

Arthur pulled back, smiled and planted a loving kiss onto the corner of her mouth before leaving for battle.

Molly, coming from the Pureblood Wizarding lot she did, knew better than to curl up and cry. She knew better than to stand around and let people protect her. She was not a heartbroken little girl; she was a woman. A woman who could take care of herself even in the darkest times and more importantly, her children. She's lost Fred, but she wasn't going to lose the rest.

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_.-*'*-._.-*'*-._

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"Harry Potter is dead!" You-Know-Who shrieked.

Molly felt a hot tear trickle down her face.

"No!" Ron hollered.

"_No!_" Hermione screamed, her knees buckling.

"Harry!" Ginny cried out, running forward. Arthur grabbed her and pulled her back, but she struggled against him. "Let me _go_! _Harry!_"

But Molly, being the strong woman she was, stopped crying and looked closer at 'dead' Harry. She squinted, looking closer until suddenly…

His eyes opened slightly.

And he winked.

"Ginny, darling, he's alive," Molly whispered.

Ginny stopped struggling, Ron wiped his tears and Hermione got up from where she was kneeling on the floor.

"He's alive!"

"Keep your voice down, Ginevra."

"Sorry, Dad."

Ron, Hermione and Ginny put on their best lamenting faces on and pretended to weep into each other's shoulders – quite realistically. Molly, however, simply walked over to her husband and wound her arms around his neck.

"Hi," she said.

Arthur smiled and said, "Hey," before leaning down and pressing his lips to hers.

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_.-*'*-._.-*'*-._

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Years, years later, Molly Weasley found herself sitting at St Mungo's with her many grandchildren. Lily and James were on either side, hugging her, despite James being nineteen and normally self-conscious about hugs in public. Albus was next along the row, beside James, leaning into his mother, Ginny. Ginny wiped her tears from her face and snuggled into Harry, who was slowly planting soft kisses on her forehead, cheek and mouth. It seemed to calm her.

Ron and Hermione were next, with Rose pacing in front of them, putting her extraordinary seventeen-year-old mind into action, and Hugo crying into his mother's shoulder. Then was Bill and Fleur, with their children, and George and Angelina, with their children, and Percy and Audrey, with their children… Charlie sat at the end, watching all of the children with a little rueful smile.

The Trainee Healer, Avery, poked his head out of the door. "You may visit him now. Remember, only five at a time."

Ginny smiled at Molly. "You go first, Mum. Alone."

Molly nodded, got up and went into the ward.

Her husband was lying on the white bed, his glasses wonky, and his hair, long gone grey, splayed over the pillow. Beside him, a little machine beeped in time with his heartbeat, which was wavering, unstable and unpredictable. He was going to die soon; that much was obvious to anyone, even Molly, as much as she tried not to think it.

"Molly," Arthur croaked, the left corner of his mouth twitching up into a peaceful smile. "I love you."

"I love you too." Molly kissed him on the forehead.

"Goodbye, Mollywobbles," Arthur chuckled.

Molly began to cry. "Goodbye." She turned and headed for the door.

"But Molly…"

Molly froze and spun round to face him as fast as a woman of her age could.

"How _do_ aeroplanes stay up?"

And then he died.

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